Brühl (pronounced [bʁyːl] ) is a town in the Rhineland, Germany. It is located in the district of Rhine-Erft, 20 km south of the Cologne city center and at the edge of the Rhineland Nature Park, a famous nature reserve. With the palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the moated castle of Schallenburg, the lake district within the Kottenforest, and the Phantasialand amusement park, it ranks among the most important tourist destinations in the Rhineland. With its numerous universities, museums, art galleries, local government offices, and manufacturing companies, the former electoral residence is also an important regional hub between Cologne and Bonn.
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History
Brühl received its town privileges in 1285. At the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th, the Jewish scholar Rav Shlomo, grandson of the known Samuel Ben Natronai lived in the city. From 1567 on, the city of Brühl was the official residence of the Prince Bishops of Cologne. In the 18th century the Prince Bishop Clemens August replaced a former ruined castle and built the Augustusburg and Falkenlust palaces near the city center. Today, both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their outstanding rococo architecture. Until 1990 Augustusburg Palace was used by the federal government to receive foreign heads of states visiting West Germany.